Computer Graphics

AuthorMarty Maxwell
Pages134-136

Page 134

Computer graphics are found in almost every industry; individuals in all demographic, geographic, racial, political, and religious groups benefit from them. When picking up a magazine or newspaper, watching television, going to the movies, or taking a drive down the street, images produced by computer graphics are seen.

Computer graphics are used because they add color, excitement, and visual stimulation to media. They are aesthetically appealing and informative. Newspapers, magazines, brochures and reports, billboards, posters, art prints, greeting cards, and postcards incorporate digital graphics. Several movies, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Toy Story, and Stuart Little have received recognition for their innovative use of digital effects and/or animation. Video games use advanced digital graphics. Scientists use computer visualizations to simulate animal movements, thunderstorms, and galaxy formation. Visual simulation is also used in training programs where people learn how to drive or fly. Physicians are able to see digital graphical representations of computerized axial tomography scan data that aid in diagnosis and treatment. Architects and product designers use computer-aided design programs to draw graphical representations of their designs. Graphic designers create digital illustrations on the computer. Across the World Wide Web computer graphics are shared around the globe.

Computer graphics are visual and, therefore, one's response to them is very different from one's response to textual or auditory communication. As children, people develop visual skills before language skills, but even as adults they respond emotionally to what they see. People bring to any viewing of an image their experience, expectations, and values. Sometimes people draw from cultural, religious, or universal symbols to help them relate the image to their experience of the world. The universal becomes personal and the personal becomes universal. Visual communication is multidimensional. People have a primal or visceral response based upon deep-seated beliefs, an emotional response based upon image content and presentation, and an associative response based upon prior experience. Then a rational response is layered on top of the rest.

FILM VERSUS DIGITAL IMAGERY

Computer graphics is the art of using computer technology to create visual images from data. One way to understand this is to contrast film and digital photography. With a film camera a roll of film is loaded into the camera. To make a picture the camera exposes some halide silver crystals on...

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